Wire rope machine and the like



Sept; 22, 1931. ;w CLARK L823$$$ WIRE ROPE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuentoz m W MC @311 Gnome/1 s Sept. 22, 1931. D. w. CLARK 1,823,886

WIRE ROPE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 6. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 l I a I I I gvwemtoz TQM M40. e/M /r QQ GHQ Mums Patented Sept. 22,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID W. CLARK, F MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. ROEBLINGS SONS COMPANY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY WIRE ROPE MACHINE AND THE LIKE Application filed February 6, 1928, Serial No. 252,234, and in Canada October 14, 1927.

I This invention relates to new anduseful one of the crimping or bending devices taken improvements in wire rope making machines and particularly to the type of machine used for laying strands in a rope, although applicable also for laying up wires to form strands. The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means which will preform the strands into helices before they are laid in a rope, so that the free ends of the rope will not unravel but tend to hold closely to the rope core or centre.

A further object is to provide preforming means which will be quickly and readily attached to the machine and which will, when attached, be easily adjusted to suit the size of rope and tensile strength and elasticity of wire or strand forming same.

A further object is to provide preforming means which will be readily accessible and 29 which will be open for inspection during the operation of the machine.

According to my invention I provide an attachment which is preferably mounted between the head and the fly of a wire rope making machine, for forming crimps, or bends in the strands and producing helices before they are laid in a rope. The device is very easily adjusted to suit the strands under operation. The strands pass over bending or crimping rollers which reduce to a minimum friction of the rope during the bending of the same.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one type of rope making machine with my improved preforming device applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an end View of the machine.

Figure 3 is an' enlarged end elevation of the supporting and positioning means for the bending device.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the strand bending devices.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the device shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a part end elevation of the complete bending or crimping attachment for six strands.

Figure 7 is -a sectional end elevation of on the line 77 Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown for illustrative purposes in Figures 1 and 2 a rope closing machine of common type, thatis, a machine in which strands are laid in a rope, but it will be readily understood that the preforming attachment shown may easily be applied to a stranding machine in a similar manner.

In Figures 1 and 2, 11 designates the base or bed of the machine and projecting upwardly therefrom are the spaced brackets 12, 13 and 14. Rotatably mounted in the said brackets is the hollow spindle 15. Secured to the spindle is the fly comprising spaced discs 16 and 17, having journalled therein the cradles 18, for carrying the bobbins 19. The cradles extend between the discs and are provided with extensions 20, each connected to the ends of connecting rods 21, the other ends of which are com nected to a ring 22 carried eccentric to the axes of the discs, so that when the discs are rotated, the bobbin journals are always parallel to one another and are maintained in a horizontal position, but the cradles do not rotate in the direction of the discs. The internal edge of the ring 22 engages with the outer surfaces 23 of two diametrically opposite rollers 24, rotatably mounted on studs 25 secured to the bracket 12. The disc 17 is supported on the rollers 26 rotatably mounted in bearing 27 formed in the base 11. A brake band 28 of the usual type encircles the disc 16 and said brake band may be operated by the lever 29, an operating rod 30, and brake band connections 31. A head 32 is secured to the end 33 of the hollow spindle and is journalled in the bearing 14. The strands 34 from the bobbins pass through apertures 35 formed in the inner journals of the cradles. A tooth gear wheel 36 is secured to the head and engages with the teeth of the wheel 37 secured to the driving shaft 38 upon which are mounted the fixed pulley 39 and running pulley 40, usually employed, and driven from a source not shown. The wheel and the head are apertured to allow for the passage therethrough of the strands, which are fed into a closing-die 41 mounted on supporting pins 42 projecting outwardly from the bracket 14. A crosshead is secured to the ends of the rods or pins 42 and rotatably mounted in said crosshead is the adjusting screw 43, which engages with a threaded aperture 44 in the die. The screw 48 when turned causes the die to move toward or away from the head of the machine, for adjustment as desired, and a suitable locking nut 45 is provided to prevent rotation of the screw 43 after adjustment. The rope passes on to a drum 46 rotatably mounted on shaft 47 passing through brackets 48 projecting upwardly from the base, and the drum may be rotated by any suitable means to coil the rope thereon. The foregoing is a description of one type of machine to which my improved preforming attachment may be secured and is only for illustrative purposes. It will be readily understood that the device hereinafter disclosed may be used on any of the rope forming or closing machines well known in the art.

My improved preforming device is preferably mounted between the bearings 13 and 14 at the point where the strands are being led towards the closing die of the machine. Secured to the hollow spindle and adapted to rotate therewith is the hexagonal collar 49. Projecting outwardly from the faces of the collar are the pins 50. There are preferably two pins on each face to hold the preforming mechanism in place. Mounted on the pins are the base castings 51 provided with a central groove 52, and passing through bearings 53 formed in the ends of the casting are the adjusting screws 54. These screws are provided with left and right hand threaded portions 55 and 56, which engage with correspondingly threaded lugs 57 formed in the brackets 58 which slide on the base. The grooved rollers or pulleys 59 and 60 are rotatably mounted on pins 61 secured to the brackets which may be provided with removable caps 62. The ends 63 of the adjusting screws or spindles 54 are provided with collars 54 to hold them in place in the bearings, and one of the ends of each spindle is provided with a square portion 65 to allow the screws to be easily operated by means of a spanner or wrench. Slidably mounted on the pins 50 are the jaw brackets 66, having grooves 67 which receive the pins 68 to which are secured pulleys 69. The pulleys 59 and 60 are positioned so that they are equidistant from the pulleys 69. The pulleys 69 are moved towards or away from the centre of rotation of the hollow spindle on the pins 50, and nuts 70 are provided for holding the forked or jaw brackets 66. A guide disc 71 is secured to the hollow spindle between the fly and the collar to lead the strands towards the pulleys. The nut or collar is shown as hexagonal, but this may be departed from when more than six strands have to be laid in the rope under manufacture.

In operation the bobbins are filled with strands of wire and are mounted in the cradles between the discs 16, 17 on the fly. The discs, which are secured to the hollow spindle, are rotated and the ring in conjunction with the links between said ring and the cradles hold the bobbins substantially horizontal, so that there is no twisting of the strands about their central axis. The strands are led through-the guide disc, over the pulleys 59 nearest the fly, over the centrally disposed pulleys 69, and over the pulley 60, and on through the head to the closing die, the apertures in the head and wheel 37 being such as to permit the passage of the strands 'without affecting the crimps. The pulleys are adjusted to suit the size of strand the tensile strength and elasticity of the wire forming the same under operation, and-the lay of the rope to be produced. By rotating the threaded spindles,

the pulleys 59 and 60 are adjusted towards or away from one another in the longitudinal direction of the machine, and y manipulating the nuts 7 O, the pulley 69 may be moved towards or away from the centre of rotation of the hollow shaft. The rope in passing over the pulleys is bent into the desired shape and this bending action, taken in conjunction with the rotation of the pulleys, about the centre of the hollow spindle, causes the strands to be preformed into helices of any desired form or pitch, as they are drawn towards the fixed closing die. The preformed strands are wound around a core 72 passing through the hollow spindle and the centre of the die. The strands after passing through the die are in the form of a rope, the strands of which are set in the form of helices which cause said strands to cling towards the core, so that the rope may be cut at any point without the ends tending to unravel, as is the case in wire ropes of ordinary construction.

The device is very simply and readily adjusted and is very efficient in operation and preforms the component parts of a strand o1: rope int-o co-operative helices before laying them in strand or rope form. It will also be seen that the device is open for ready inspection at any time during the operation ofthe machine.

Itwill be understood that the invention is not limited to the special type of rope making machine in connection with which the invention is illustrated, and that many modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts embodying the invention, while retaining the invention defined by the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wire rope machine including a fly I and a head adapted to rotate simultaneously, a collar adapted to rotate with the fly and the head and positioned therebetween, and

a plurality of strand bending means securedto the face of the collar, each comprising a pair of rollers adapted to be moved towards and away from one another parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine, means for simultaneously adjusting said rollers along the horizontal axis of the machine, and a roller positioned between the pair of rollers and adjustable radially of the centre of rotation of the machine, said rollers being positioned for crimping wire or strands passing between them.

2. A wire rope machine including a fly and a head adapted to rotate simultaneously said last-mentioned roller being positioned between the first-mentioned rollers, said rollers being positioned for crimping wire or strands passing between them.

3. A wire rope making machine including a fly and a headadapted to rotate simultaneously about a common central axis, a collar rotating about said axis and positioned 1 between the head and the fly, and a plurality of strand bending devices secured to the periphery of the collar, each device comprising a casting, a screw rotatably mounted on the castin and having left and right hand threa ed portions, brackets mounted on said casting and movable towards and away from one another and in a direction parallel to said axis, by the action of the screw, a roller carried by each bracket, and a roller mounted in a bracket positioned between the first mentioned rollers and adjustable toward and away from said axis, said rollers being positioned for crimping wire or strands passing between-them.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID W. CLARK. 

